


Justice

by Feena_c



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Renegade - Freeform, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 13:25:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10945413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feena_c/pseuds/Feena_c
Summary: I always thought one of the worst things you could do as Shepard in Mass Effect was not curing the krogan.  A little piece on what I imagined as a possibility if you took that route.





	Justice

Shepard sat at his desk, leaned back with a datapad in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. The Crucible was coming along even faster than expected, the pieces were beginning to fall into place. With some good luck for a change, they might be able to deploy the weapon in less than another month.  
There was a knock at the door, Shepard set down the pad and called that it was open. 

“Hello, Shepard” Mordin walked in briskly and stood in front of the Commander.

“Mordin, what brings you up here? Shouldn’t you be deciding what beach you want to head to soon?” Shepard chuckled. 

Mordin smiled, he had already picked out his beach.  
“Just came up to talk,” he replied. 

“Oh? That’s unusual for you. Normally you’re all about business,” Shepard set down his coffee cup. 

Mordin picked it up and studied it.

“Never understood humans like for caffeine. Stimulant purpose obvious, but your kind ingest it even when rested,” 

Shepard smiled.  
“Personally I don’t actually just like it, I’m just not rested very often these days” he laughed. Mordin and Dr. Chakwas, as well as everyone else on the Normady were all running on empty the last couple months.

Mordin walked over to the coffee maker Shepard had had put into his cabin and filled a cup for himself, as well as refilling Shepard’s. 

Shepard stood up and put the datapad into a stack that was centimeters away from spilling over the ledge and onto the sofa. 

Shepard turned and Mordin handed him his cup, which he drank as he motioned Mordin to join him around the corner, out of the “office”. 

Mordin declined to sit and paced as Shepard leaned back comfortably. 

“That’s some awfully fast pacing for someone who’s just up here to chat. What’s up Mordin?”

Mordin stopped and turned to face Shepard, one hand rested against his chin.  
His expression was thoughtful, and a little angry looking.  
Shepard frowned, waiting for his response.

“Am curious Shepard, how you thought you could get away with allowing Genophage cure to be sabotaged without anyone finding out,” 

Shepard winced. Mordin waited for an answer without moving.  
Shepard leaned forward and carefully positioned his again empty cup on the table, formulating in his mind what to say.

“I didn’t think that no one would find out. I just didn’t think they would until after the war with the Reapers is over,” 

Mordin gave a “hmm” sound and began pacing again. 

“Interesting response. No attempt at denial, no explanation offered for actions. Say same thing when confronted by Wrex?” 

Wrex’s death on the Citadel had been a shock to everyone, and Shepard’s lack of a reason for Wrex’s “attacking” him was also difficult for the crew to accept, but no one had questioned Shepard directly about it. It was a mystery they assumed he did not have an answer for either. 

“Nothing I said to Wrex would have changed anything,” Shepard said.

“Surprised by that?” Mordin asked.

Shepard looked at him cooly, they were both dancing around the real issue, at least to Shepard’s mind. 

“No, but that’s beside the point isn’t it? What are you looking for Mordin? If you already know what happened, what are you trying to get from me?” 

“Answers! Wanted to know why you did it, what reasons you had,” Mordin stopped pacing again.

“The Delatrass contacted me before the mission. She offered the Salarian’s support in the war if I agreed to leave the sabotage of the shroud in place,” Shepard said.

“Did it for military support of Salarians? Only reason?” 

“Yes,”

“Considered future impact of decision? War with Krogans inevitable once they realized, surely must have seen that,” Mordin voice was obviously agitated. 

“The Reapers are my only concern right now Mordin. By allowing the Genophage cure to fail I got both Krogan and Salarian support in the war with them. That’s what matters right now, even you should see that,” Shepard stood up.

“See that Reapers more immediate threat. Doesn’t justify action. Doesn’t make consequences not exist. War with Krogan now inevitable. Even if Reapers completely destroyed, Earth and Sur'Kesh likely to be destroyed by Krogan afterward. Even without Genophage cure after war with Reapers Krogan will be stronger than Human and Salarian forces combined. Have insured destruction for both with actions!” Mordin yelled.

“The Krogan won’t destroy us. If they go to war with us the other races will side with us,” Shepard said.

“Certainty borne from what reasoning?” 

“I’ll have just saved the galaxy Mordin! If the Krogan turn on us and I ask the other species to fight with us they will. The Asari, the Turians, they’ve never been convinced that curing the Krogan were the right thing to do anyway. They’ll be proven right if the Krogan immediately go to war,”

“Even if reason for war justified?”

“Who would even believe them if I just say that the cure didn’t work? It was a long shot to begin with,” Shepard folded his arms and started pacing opposite Mordin.

“Likely correct. See you have weighed all options. Logical, reminds me of self not too long ago,” Mordin set down his cup on the low table.

“So you understand?” Shepard stopped and dropped his arms. 

“Not fully, not yet. Want to know, is only reason based on war effort? No moral, no personal reason or feelings about actions?”

“I’m trying to stop the Reapers, Mordin” Shepard replied.

Mordin breathed in a short, shallow breath. 

“Disappointing. See that you have made same mistake as I once did. As all Salarians once did,” Mordin stopped and looked at Shepard squarely, angry but completely controlled. 

“What mistake would that be?” 

“Only looked at box, not outside it. Failed to consider possibilities outside hypotheses. Failed to consider people,” Mordin smiled regretfully. 

“You. What are you going to do Mordin? If you tell the Krogan now that the cure didn’t work that won’t help anyone. They’ll go to war now, and the Reapers will have no obstacles to wiping out everyone in the Galaxy. Is that what you want? Are you willing to let that happen in order to clear your own conscience?” Shepard asked.

“Curious what you would do if said yes, but no. Not foolish Shepard, see need to destroy Reapers as clearly as ever,” Mordin said. 

“So what will you do then?” 

“Have already done it, Shepard,” Mordin turned and started walking towards the door.

“Mordin! Wait, what did you do?” Shepard moved from the sofa to the bottom of the steps, behind Mordin. 

“Have denied my rectification of previous error Shepard, no longer able to see Genophage cured in my lifetime. May never happen now. Only option left, justice,” Mordin turned halfway around to look at Shepard. 

“Meaning?” Shepard asked.

“Meaning have selected beach. Will retire on Tuchanka, work on finding another way to cure Krogan. Also justice for you, Shepard. Your crime even worse than mine, you had already seen the results of the Genophage’s continuance first hand,” Mordin said.

“Justice for me? How?” 

“Coffee. Been busy in lab last two weeks, working on new virus. Must not be infectious, must not be immediate. Still have Galaxy to save, realize you’re the only one who can. Unfortunate,” Mordin shook his head and inhaled again. 

“Estimate 10-12 months”

Shepard looked at him, incredulous shock on his face.  
“Mordin....did you...poison me?”

“Hearing still excellent Shepard. Surprising considering how much of your time spent around weapons fire,” 

“Are you insane?!” Shepard shouted. 

Mordin smiled.  
“Not yet. Also surprising, considering recent betrayal by person thought of as close comrade,”

“Mordin, you can’t be serious,” Shepard began, but Mordin turned and interrupted.

“Back on Tuchanka, right before leaving, Wrex came to me and told me he considered me a brother. Remember him telling you same thing. Think only one of us worthy of title,”

Mordin walked out, the doors closing behind him. Shepard started after him, but stopped. He knew Mordin, he wouldn’t change his mind. Likely he hadn’t even made a cure, also possible he was just messing with Shepard. Either way, he wouldn’t be able to confront him. He couldn’t risk Mordin exposing the truth, not now.  
Shepard leaned over his desk for a moment, then sat back down and picked up the datapad from before. The Crucible was indeed coming along faster than expected.


End file.
